news details |
|
|
| 3 killed, 40 hurt in anti-US, pro-Quran protests as mobs burn missionary school, govt offices, 16 vehicles in Mendhar | | SDPO attached, booked under murder case along with five PSOs | | BHARAT BHUSHAN
EARLY TIMES REPORT
JAMMU, Sept 15: Two days after Poonch was placed under curfew, violence today erupted at Mendhar, when in a surge of anger stoked by the desecration of Quran in US, a 4,000-strong mob set ablaze a missionary school, court complex, tehsil complex, dak bungalow and offices of BDO, SDPO, CID special branch, treasury, forest department, PHE department, sub-divisional magistrate (SDM), RDD and PDD.
Curfew was clamped in Mendhar, 48 km west of Poonch town, too as it was virtually in flames after the mobs set afire every government property that came their way.
In retaliatory action, police fired several gunshots and teargas shells, besides resorting to lathicharge, resulting in the death of three protesters and injuries to at least 28 others.
In stone-pelting, SDPO (DSP) Vivek Gupta, Mendhar police station SHO, Inspector Farooq Ahmad and nearly 10 other cops sustained injuries.
DSP Vivek and his five PSOs were, however, booked under section 302 of RPC after the people alleged that theirs was a peaceful protest and police firing was unprovoked, SDM, Mendhar Mukhtar Choudhary said.
Vivek was attached with the office of IGP, Jammu, and his five PSOs were taken into custody, he added.
The youth, who died, had come from Mendhar's rural areas to join the anti-US and pro-Quran protest.
Police sources identified them as Tata sumo driver Mohammad Shamim (27), son of Mohammad Majid, Mohammad Arshad (19), son of Mohammad Azam of Ari, and Alam Dar (30), son of Sadiq Hussain of Gould. Arshad was stated to be a student. The decision to hold the anti-US protest Wednesday was taken in a meeting of Muslim organisations Tuesday evening.
Though the Mendhar administration roundly failed to take preventive measures, lack of coordination between them and army led to the further deterioration of situation, official sources said.
The SDM wrote to army authorities for their assistance to control the mobs at about 10.30 am, but troops had not come out of barracks in Mendhar town till late tonight.
Sources said SSP, Poonch, Manmohan Singh took serious exception to this army attitude in a meeting held with senior army officers in Poonch tonight.
Sources said 3,000 to 4,000 Muslims gathered in Mendhar town in the morning and assailed the US for showing disrespect to the Quran and Islam while remembering the 9/11 victims.
Sources said a private school owner allegedly instigated some youth in the anti-US procession to target Saint Francis school in the town as he was not doing well after the opening of the missionary school.
While the procession moved towards the Saint Francis school, police tried to stop them. This angered some youth in the procession, who then hurled stones on the cops, besides setting afire a Tata-407 of police parked at the nearby Bus Stand.
When the mob swelled and moved towards police, the latter opened fire, resulting in the instant death of a youth and injuries to 14 others.
The protesters, who were said to be about 4,000 in number, then placed the youth's body outside SDPO's office and raised anti-police slogans.
Some of them barged into the SDPO's office and ransacked it before setting it afire. The SDPO, the SHO and nearly 10 cops were wounded in stone-pelting.
The staff of SDPO then fled the office and took shelter in the nearby police station where cops had already taken positions to keep the mob away. The glass panes of the police station were, however, broken in stone-pelting.
As the mob swelled further, they zeroed in on police parties outside and started attacking them.
Cops then resorted to teargassing and opened fire as a result of which two more protesters got killed and several others sustained injuries.
The mob then went on rampage, burning almost all the government offices in the town and at least 16 vehicles, including scooters and motorcycles.
With cops running for shelters, the mob ruled the Mendhar roads and streets till late this evening.
Sources said the protesters later placed the three bodies outside SDPO's office and refused to go homes till the SDPO and his PSOs were booked in a murder case.
MLCs -- Javed Rana and M R Qureshi -- and Mushtaq Ahmad Bukhari, who held detailed talks with the Mendhar administration, later met the protesters, who told them that the police action against them was unprovoked.
They said they would not take the bodies homes till case was registered against the SDPO and his PSOs.
The situation, however, defused and the protesters returned homes at about 9.30 pm after it was announced officially that a case under section 302 of RPC had been registered against the police officials.
Soon thereafter, Vivek was attached with IGP's office in Jammu and DSP (headquarters), Poonch, Rafiq Choudhary was posted in his place.
The injured civilians and cops were admitted to local hospitals for treatment.
Following deterioration in their condition, six of them were airlifted to GMC hospital here. They were identified as Azhar Ahmad Khan, son of Shabir Ahmad Khan of Dhar Gillon, Rizwan Khan, son of Iftikhar Ahmad Khan of Harmout, Safir Khan, son of Mohammad Hanief, Mohammad Zahid, son of Abdul Rashid, Kabir Hussain, son of Faqir Hussain and Atiq Rehman, all residents of Mendhar.
One more injured was referred to the GMC hospital by road. He was identified as Bagh Hussain (50), son of Bagga of Mendhar.
The SDM said after the people returned homes, curfew was clamped in the Mendhar town.
A peaceful anti-US protest was also held in Rajouri in which Muslims pledged to maintain communal harmony.
Meanwhile, no relaxation was given in curfew restrictions in Poonch town on the second consecutive day today. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
| |
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
STOCK UPDATE |
|
|
 |
| BSE
Sensex |
 |
| NSE
Nifty |
|
|
| |
CRICKET UPDATE |
|
|
|
|
| |
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
